Associate Creative Director 
Location: GB, CMD, London
Department: Creative
Salary range: 60000-70000
Employment type: Full-time
Required experience: Director
Required education: Bachelor's Degree
Industry: Marketing and Advertising
Function: Art/Creative

Company profile:
The Technical Team and offering at VML London has a very strong heritage dating back to the mid-nineties when the London office was founded. Back in those days we were one of the first few purely digital marketing agencies in London; and back then things were a lot more technically driven than they often are today; as such the Technology team here continues to enjoy a strong strategic influence on the work that the agency undertakes and the clients that we engage.It just works.Technology is brilliant when you don’t have to think about it. That’s what we strive for in our solutions. Our technology team has a strong strategic influence on the work we undertake and are involved as soon as the brief lands. They stay involved throughout strategy, creative concepting and design. Acting as important enablers, we bring new and emerging technology to the table to successfully marry the requirements of our clients with the vision of our creatives.Open standards, open minds.We aim to deliver the most elegant technical solution for your budget, and maintain a technology agnostic approach to development in order to achieve that. Technology can be expensive, both in terms of hard costs and costly mistakes, so we’re as careful with your money as we are with our own.   Perhaps that’s why some of our clients have been with us for over 10 years. When faced with a new problem our first instinct is always to see if someone else has already solved it. As such, the solutions we design are built on the rich eco-system of open source software (OSS); the proven and battle-tested kind that we know will not just do the job quickly and cost-effectively, but also robustly. Where OSS isn't appropriate we always favour solutions that are built to open standards that we know will integrate well with other technologies.Strong partnerships.Our work is complemented by strong partnerships with technology vendors and suppliers.   Proven over time, our established strategic relationships with many of the leaders in software, hardware and other technology solutions help ensure we’re able to continue to offer best-in-class technical solutions for our clients.What we do:High availability and high performance website architecture &amp; developmentWeb content management solutionsCreative technology ideationContent optimisation, search and analyticsHigh volume, multi-locale email campaignsMobile optimisationLocalisation

Job description:
Bring it all together as our new Associate Creative Director With a strong understanding of how creativity can build brands, you’ll be responsible for managing the conception and execution of campaigns, programmes and platforms that enhance our reputation and deliver revenue.  Assisting the Creative Director in structuring, mentoring, motivating and leading the creative team, you’ll also inspire the agency as a whole – as well as our client partners – to deliver exceptional work.    As a well-rounded creative and conceptual thinker, with a specific bias to digital channels, you’ll understand how to focus on engagement rather than interruption, and on ideas that use technology in inspiring and imaginative ways. Steadfast and passionate in your understanding of the constantly changing digital landscape, you’ll be adept at delivering effective and breakthrough ideas for our brands. On a day-to-day basis, you’ll be overseeing projects of all kinds, from digital advertising through to social media campaigns and mobile applications. As a key player in all aspects of the process from brief to delivery, it will be your remit to build collaborative relationships while upholding the highest quality standards.

Requirements:
As an Associate Creative Director at VML… You’ll be expected to:Drive innovative ideas that are fuelled by understanding of the brand and consumerCreate award-winning work through breakthrough ideas and exquisite craftEnsure that creativity is effective and based on strong strategic rationaleBe hands-on when necessary, solving issues and executing deliverablesWork with the Creative Director and account leads to produce proactive workPresent creative work in a confident and compelling manner, building trust in othersTrain and mentor more junior members of staff in every area of creative abilityAssist in building a team that supports the business and adapts as it evolvesContribute to the agency’s overall direction, structure and servicesAccurately estimate time and effort required for our projectsContribute to the reputation of the agency through profile-raising activitiesSupport the new business effort creatively and from an overall agency perspectiveUnderstand the role of revenue in the business and be accountable for itBe a secondary point of contact for inter-agency relationships and partnersInfluence and manage senior client-side relationshipsWork with senior management to ensure the health and happiness of employeesConduct yourself in a collaborative manner with other agency staff You should posses:9+ years agency experience with a digital background, preferably some of which in London or other major markets such as NYCA excellent creative portfolio (design or writing), with diverse projects you led or significantly contributed to, including integrated and digitally focused brand campaigns (video and shoot production experience is a plus), eCRM, social media and community engagement, digital brand management, as well as mobile, app and site build workStrong written and verbal communication skillsThe ability to compellingly and authoritatively present ideas and solutionsA degree in Art &amp; Design / Advertising / CommunicationsA true understanding between creative expression and commercial realityExcellent advanced software skills: Adobe / Office / Video / PresentationUnderstanding and empathy for brand, business and digital landscapesAbility to deliver to multitask under pressure and work to long and short deadlinesCapacity to work within teams or solo on projects, where necessarySolution-oriented with a positive attitude  In this specific role, you’ll have the opportunity to: Oversee the digital comms and campaign projects/accounts, specifically Xbox, PwC, and RIBAAct as a key new business lead for digital campaign projects and opportunitiesAct as a key lead our creative campaign, asset production, branded content and social engagement capabilities

Benefits: